


Courage in Consolation

by Nary



Category: Adventure World (game)
Genre: Angst, Comfort Sex, Crymaxing, F/M, Family Feels, Group Marriage, Men Crying, Parenthood, Polyamory, Pregnant Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-20
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-03-08 08:21:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3202247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When he crawled into bed beside her, she could smell the sandalwood scent of Vedran's soap still lingering faintly on his skin, and it made her long for her missing husband all over again.  Aleyn curled up close to her, burying his face in the curve of her shoulder, and she knew he was feeling the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Courage in Consolation

Aleyn slipped quietly into Ardith's room - she wasn't asleep yet, but she could tell he was trying not to wake her. While she had been making sure everyone had a room - Kallista was in Vedran's bedchamber, and Dheni was in Aleyn's, with Warryn in one of the guest rooms and Roscoe safely ensconced in the library - Aleyn had been putting the kids to bed. They had been allowed to stay up unusually late, given the circumstances, and hadn't put up much of a fight when they were finally taken upstairs, although Saiya had made some token protests that she wasn't sleepy.

Still keeping silent, Aleyn undressed, setting his clothes aside neatly for the morning. He'd only worn them for a few hours that day - Ardith had insisted that he take a bath, shave, and change into something other than the travelling gear he'd worn for weeks on end before they had dinner. When he crawled into bed beside her, she could smell the sandalwood scent of Vedran's soap still lingering faintly on his skin, and it made her long for her missing husband all over again. Aleyn curled up close to her, burying his face in the curve of her shoulder, and she knew he was feeling the same. What she hadn't expected was the erection that was pressing up against her hip. Normally Aleyn was slower to get going with her, needing more time and effort to get hard, but right now that didn't seem to be the case. 

Ardith turned carefully to face him, maneuvering her heavy belly with a slight grunt of effort. She had wondered if the baby might come before Aleyn and Vedran were home from their diplomatic mission. Now it seemed as if Aleyn would be leaving again, this time on a rescue mission, before their child arrived, and who knew when (or if, she tried not to think) he and Vedran would be back. Her partner looked tired and drawn and pale, thinner than when he'd left and, she thought, with more grey hairs as well. His expression was solemn and withdrawn, not like the sweet, shyly smiling, often playful man she'd come to love. "Aleyn, are you sure?" she asked softly. "We don't need to..."

"Please," he whispered, closing his eyes, "I can't talk right now, I just... can we, please... I need you."

"Of course." It would take some doing to manage, but she badly wanted to make the effort tonight. 

They fumbled and struggled a little as they got into a position that would work, Ardith on her side with Aleyn up against her back, but once he was inside her, Ardith stopped thinking about how huge and uncomfortable she felt or how worried she was about everything that was going on right now. Aleyn moved slowly against her, in her, and it felt wonderful, just for a few minutes, to let go of everything else except him. They'd worked hard to get this far, and it was worth it, she thought, for the moments like this. 

The ragged sound of his breath quickened along with his thrusts, and his fingers dug harder into Ardith's scales. She knew it wouldn't last much longer, and pushed back gently against him, trying to encourage him without words, to let him know that it was all right. He gasped her name as he stiffened against her, and she felt the hot rush of his seed inside her, making her gasp too. His breathing didn't slow or grow calmer after, though, but still sounded harsh, almost pained, and she realized that he was crying, the tears wetting her shoulder. 

"Oh, Aleyn, sweetheart," she said, disentangling the two of them enough that she could turn to face him. When she took him in her arms, he only sobbed more, his chest heaving as he tried to gasp for air. He had held her earlier in the day when she'd been unable to keep her composure and had broken down into tears, so it was only fair that she do the same for him. She stroked his hair as he cried against her chest, not saying anything because there was nothing to be said right now, nothing that she could do to make it better except be there for him. At least it didn't set her off crying again too - she still felt drained from that afternoon's bout of tears, and didn't have the energy for another one.

Eventually his sobs receded into occasional shuddering hitches, and he grew still against her. She wondered if he might have cried himself to sleep - no doubt he was exhausted. But then he mumbled something, muffled enough that she had to ask him to lift his head and repeat himself. "Edric didn't even recognize me," he said, his voice hoarse from crying. "We've... I've been gone so long, practically half his life..."

"We talk about you, though," Ardith assured him. "He sees your portrait, and Vedran's, and he knows you're his Daddy and his Ada, and that you love him even though you're away doing important work. I read him what you write in the book - well, when it's suitable, of course - and the older children tell him funny stories about you both, and... we do our best." She sighed, knowing it didn't really make up for missing months of his youngest son's life, especially as dragonborn grew so quickly. "Is that what's really bothering you?"

"That, and everything else," Aleyn told her. "Worrying about Vedran, worrying about my family in Highmark and what's happening there, worrying about leaving again so soon..." He rested his hand lightly on the plates of her stomach. "I wanted to be here for you and the kids, and for the new baby..."

"You are," she pointed out. "You're here for us right now. I know it's only a short stay, but I'm glad you came, Aleyn. I love you, and the children love you - even Edric, even if he's a little confused by everything that's going on. And... I trust that you're going to do everything you can to bring Vedran home safely. I can manage until then."

"I love you too," Aleyn said, still sniffling. "I was afraid I might not get back here before we had to leave. At least this way we'll have a couple of days together. And tomorrow, in between planning and getting supplies organized, I want to spend as much time with the kids as I can."

"There are plenty of people to help with the planning," Ardith said, kissing his forehead. "I think you should be able to take the time. Kier will appreciate the break," she added with a faint smile. "Especially since after tomorrow there'll be Delona and Thruik's girls to add to the mix."

Aleyn nodded. "I did get a chance to talk with Mhireen tonight, for a little while - when he wasn't monopolizing Dheni, that is. I tried to tell him that I was proud of him for all the work he'd done with us, and that now he could do the same sorts of jobs for you, especially after the baby arrives. I didn't want to give him a 'you're the man of the house now' speech or anything," he added with a sigh, "since he doesn't need that pressure and responsibility hanging over him. But he likes to feel useful, and I think if there's anything you can delegate to him - letters to address, or messages to deliver in town, that sort of thing - he'd jump at the chance."

"I'll try to think of some suitable tasks," Ardith agreed. She took Aleyn's hand gently and gave it a squeeze before setting it atop her belly. The baby didn't move around as vigorously these days - somersaults were out of the question, so close to being born - but right now it was squirming and kicking, as if impatient to be out. "Feel that," she said quietly, resting her hand over his.

Aleyn was silent for a long moment, and Ardith wondered briefly if she'd made the wrong choice by drawing his attention to it. But he smiled - a weary, wan smile, but a genuine one. "Hello," he said to the unborn child that was his and Vedran's offspring, bending lower to bring his mouth nearer to Ardith's stomach. "I don't know how well you can hear me, but I'm your Daddy, and I love you very much. And I love your Ada too, so I need to go away for a little while and find him - but I promise I'll come back safe and sound to you and your beautiful, amazing Mama." He kissed Ardith's rounded belly, resting his cheek against her side. "I promise I'll bring him back," he said, looking up at her with a more serious expression.

Ardith nodded, biting back her immediate fears of losing both Vedran and Aleyn. The child she was carrying was part of both her husbands, and right now what she could do for them was protect and care for the family they'd built together. "I know you will," she said, and hoped desperately that it would be true.  
Smiling with a little more of his usual playfulness, Aleyn said, "You know, since I'm down here already, I could, um, maybe provide some other assistance..." His hand moved from stroking her belly to her thigh, suggesting more overtly just what sort of 'assistance' he meant. 

"I'd love that," said Ardith, matching his smile. Sharing this sort of closeness with Aleyn was always special, but moreso when she knew he'd be off to another plane full of uncertainty and dangers in a few short days. "They say that orgasms can encourage the baby to arrive, too," she added, teasing. "I seem to recall that the day before Edric was born, we were all quite... enthusiastic."

Aleyn arched an eyebrow with a knowing look. "I'll do my best to help with that, then. I'd love to meet the baby before I go." He kissed her stomach once more, then continued in a path downwards from there. Ardith closed her eyes, trying to set aside her worries for the future, for her partners, and just savour this moment of intimacy and love while she could.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at [naryrising](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/naryrising) if you want to ask questions, make requests, or chat!


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